The Day of the Black Sun
by Last Butterfly
Summary: Sokkla oneshot. Sokka is separated from the others in the Fire Palace, only to bump into someone he didn't want to: Princess Azula herself. But her bending is gone, at least for eight long minutes... what might happen? R&R please. Rated T for safety


I don't own the Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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**Sokkla**

Day of the Black Sun

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Sokka wandered through a corridor his sword in his hands. Everything seemed so dark and dim that day. The day of the black sun…

Of course he wouldn't have been alone if he hadn't recognized that movable torch holder on one of the walls of another hall while he waited for the others. Also he still wouldn't be in a situation like this if he had waited for at least Toph to be around before he pulled it. Which didn't seem such a good idea now…

When he pulled on the holder he heard as some mechanical trapdoor system got to life. Then he knew it was a mistake because in the next moment the floor beneath and the wall before him whirled him into the wall's other end.

He could thank the spirits though that the corridor he appeared in was empty. But his luck ended there. When he turned back to pull the holder again – that way returning to his original place – of course it had to break and remain in his hands. His eyes wandered upwards as he murmured. "Even spirits need someone to laugh at, is _that_ right?" He shook his head pulling out his sword. "This is gonna be better and better…"

This day was thought through more than a million times. Not just by him, but all their allies and their leaders… and things still didn't turn out as planned. It seemed the Fire Palace's forces counted on the solar eclipse… which was not entirely surprising. Katara told them that Azula asked her about it already. This meant they had found that out. But that did not explain how they could be ready for the attack from more sides. It just did not make sense. There was supposed to be at least a little problem with coordination but their attack lines faced with the strongest counter attack he could have imagined.

The Dai Lee, the Yuu Yan archers, headhunters and even pirates. They were all here. It was incredible… And their defense was perfect. Like they had known what their plans were...

The water tribe warrior's eyebrows furrowed as he looked around at the end of the hallway and turned left. _I created the plan and even I couldn't have found a defense tactic that worked so smoothly… What if…?_

As a loud scratching sound came from behind him he whirled around only to face someone he didn't want to meet: the fire princess herself… with two daggers in her hands.

The edge of her lips curled upwards as she pulled her dagger back from the wall. "Well, well…" She took a step reducing their distance and Sokka lifted up his sword more as he swallowed once. This girl was creepy even with the fact that he knew her bending left her by now. "The first from the avatar's little gang, right?"

Sokka took his stance trying to look as determined as she seemed to be. "Perhaps." He said while she still walked towards him. The princess golden gaze measured him while he shifted uneasily in his place.

Azula always saw her enemies' weak points. Even from the boy's stance she knew he was far from perfection… but this did not mean that he might not be a threat. One of her eyebrows rose with the daggers in her hands. "Where are your little friends?" As the water boy didn't answer her features turns into a frown. "Isn't it rude to arrive and not even welcome your host?"

The warrior made a smile. "Nice palace you have here, Azula…"

"That is_ Princess _Azula to you!" She hissed and finally made her move.

He dodged the dagger that was aimed at him and jumped away from the other whirling one, making a smirk. "Excuse me _princess_, but I couldn't truly recognize_ your highness_ without those extraordinary flames…" He almost laughed as the girl gave her a dark look then attacked him again. _She's not that threatening without her lightning…_

The princess narrowed her eyes as the boy dared to smile before her. _How dare he…?! _The edge of her lips curled upwards as she used his first weak point against him and whirled her blade to his left shoulder which he protected less in the previous two attacks.

He groaned then hit the dagger away with his sword. He knitted his eyebrows as Azula lifted up her dagger to their eyelevel and in the dim light they saw as a drop of blood left its edge. He had a peek at his arm to see the cut then back at her.

"Step one: analyze your enemy's weak points." Her lips remained in a slight smirk as she spoke.

As the girl relaxed in her stance like waiting for his move he slightly rubbed his new wound. "No, that's step two… step one was not to underestimate your enemy." He managed to make a half smile. "Thanks for reminding me…" He said and this time he made his move when she lifted her daggers again and also aimed towards her shoulder but for her luck he only managed to cut through her clothes' shoulder string. "That stands for you too."

Azula's golden eyes shone with anger before she got a hold of herself and made an evil smile. "You think I don't know who you are?" The water tribe warrior only raised his eyebrows. "Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe…" His eyes widened as she attacked him again but she couldn't hit this time.

Instead of showing his surprise he faked a smile at her again. "I never hoped for such an honor like this,_princess._" As she just narrowed her eyes from the way he used her title he went on with the same sarcastic tone. "Being recognized by someone like you… What more could such a humble guy like myself, ever wish for?"

With another flash they ended up facing each other as Azula closed his sword between her two daggers looking in his eyes. "Your time is running out with every single attack you try to block. Aren't you afraid?" He only frowned as her lips curled into an evil smile. "You should be…"

He pushed her away freeing his sword and took a step back as she gained her balance back. Though he didn't want to admit it… she was right. He had a peek at the far end of the corridor to see the still fade light of the moon and sun. Eight minutes… the eclipse only lasted for eight minutes. _How much time could have already passed from it?_ As he turned his gaze back towards Azula the girl smirked at him again.

"So you are." She said on a confident voice charging at him again.

He dodged the daggers and pushed her backwards again as he faked another smile. "Oh, I'm just worried about you…" He said making the princess stop in her place. Slight confusion appeared on her face before he went on. "You know, by the time the sun comes out your father will be defeated." The princess' confusion changed back to her usual confidence and it made Sokka's disappear but he did not stop here. He knitted his eyebrows before going on. "The avatar will bring peace back to the world…"

"Peace… right…" Azula started laughing. When she looked up her smile returned fully as she saw his face. "Even you don't seem to believe that."

His face turned stern and he lifted his sword upwards when she took a step towards him again, but to his surprise she lowered her own weapons. "You know this is not the only way to end this…"

"Yeah…" He said while she came one step closer. "You could also surrender."

If he hadn't known it was her, he wouldn't have believed what he heard was her laughter just a moment after his comment. It sounded so different from her previous one… so free… almost tempting to join to it. He slowly lowered his sword.

As he was watching her just standing there, with one of her dress's binding hanging freely from her shoulder while she laughed with her head slightly tilted backwards and her eyes closed, he couldn't help but realize that a part of him wished if they hadn't been there at the moment… if she hadn't been his enemy…

When she looked at him again with her golden eyes boring into his a shiver ran down his spine at the sudden feeling that she'd seen into his thoughts. And again she stepped closer…

"Surrender…? To you…?" The end of her laughter still lingered in the air as a smile came to her lips. "And here I thought you were the modest type…" With another step towards him, she got close enough so that if he'd lifted one of his hands he could easily reach out to touch her face. "Even my knees are shaking…" She whispered almost tauntingly and a sudden glint appeared in her eyes.

And when her arms quickly moved that finally made him snap out of this. _You've let your guard down! _

His left hand barely caught her right wrist that was about to strike towards his chest and in the meantime he tried to raise his sword…

But with all her strength she managed to concentrate while trying to free her hand, her leg shot upwards and kicked it out from his hand.

His eyes slightly rounded with the sound of metal meeting the marble floor, realizing his only weapon just flew way too far to be of use to him from now on.

Like she'd thought the same she made an evil smile and her other hand rose to attack again.

Just before she could have stabbed him, he whirled her around fiercely while holding onto her other hand and in the end she slammed to the wall with her back, releasing the dagger from the hand he hold because of the impact.

His hand caught her other wrist too and, though she tried to kick or push him away, he stepped even closer to her – pinning her to the wall – and hit the wall with her hand that let go of the weapon too.

She tried to break free from his grip with clenched teeth, but it didn't take long before his hands pushed hers to the wall above her head, finally making her stop.

They were both gasping for air for a moment watching each other's eyes before she started struggling again. "Let go of me!"

A slight smirk appeared on his face when he pushed her hands higher to stop her. "Hmm, what about: no?"

She hissed once as her arms started to ache and narrowed her gaze as she suddenly felt a change inside her… her warmth started to return. "Then you're going to regret it…" She said on a dangerous voice that made him frown at once. And when the low light around them slowly turned brighter his eyes went wide.

It was her time to smirk as the sunrays drifted inside the hall letting her feel her true powers. "_Your bad_…" She said on an almost cheery voice while a single drop of sweat appeared on his forehead.

As her body was hold down by him, she was going to breathe fire. Her mouth opened to inhale a big amount of breath, while his thoughts raced making him realize perhaps his only chance…

In a blink of an eye he leaned forwards pressing his lips to hers, trying to steal the air from her through them this way. And how right he was…

She struggled again with round eyes and muffled a yell in his mouth, but it only gave him a chance to deepen the kiss further.

Inwardly he smirked to himself thinking about the fact that the oh-so-deadly-firebending-prodigy-princess could do nothing to break free from him but to squirm in his grip… he couldn't deny that he's going to be proud of this moment in his life.

As she realized that her struggle didn't bring any effect her mind told her what to do to break free, and she returned the kiss with as much fervor as he did before.

His eyes opened confusedly just to see hers closed. She tilted her head forward from the wall and felt as her body pressed more against his, making him slightly moan. _Don't let go of… _His thoughts seemed to leave him as the girl's warmth and scent invaded his mind. _Her…_

With pressing to him, the distance between her and the wall increased, and as the boy's grip started to weaken she knew that she had won this 'battle'.

Her hands slowly moved from the wall, and he did nothing to stop her, only held her wrists but now in an almost gentle manner…

Slowly her hands reached his face caressing it, then the side of his neck and ended resting on his chest when he finally let go. His arms was about to wrap around her when her furious golden eyes opened. _Finally!_

She pushed him away from her and he had to blink sometimes to understand what just happened. As it sat in, his jaw dropped when her fists flamed up.

"You're going to pay for this!" She hissed angrily and started to throw fireballs at him.

_Ok, you only have one choice… _He jumped and leaned away from the flames then turned on his heel._ And that's running!_

When he started running her flames seemed to grow. "Come back here!" Her fists sent more flames towards him, but as he zigzagged he avoided them all.

"All right, you've asked for it!" She shouted after him as her arms circled around herself, leaving sparkles in the air.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it!! _He sprinted as fast as he could, while his heart beat in his chest like it'd have wanted to break free. He almost reached the hallway he came from before… he heard as the lightning erupted from her hands… But it never reached him.

A stone wall appeared right behind him that was blown into pieces by the princess' attack and when he looked back through the dust he saw Azula aiming somewhere to the side, but she was too late. A boulder lifted from the ground hitting her fully to the side and knocking her unconscious.

Sokka stood where he was minutes ago with total surprise when another girl's voice reached him from the direction the princess attacked. "Snoozeles, are you going to stay there all day?" He blinked shaking his head as he recognized Toph's voice. "Come on, we have to go, Now!"

He had one last glance at the unconscious princess before hurrying to his friend – luckily finding his sword in the meantime.

"How the hell did you get here?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow, now that they're heading back to Appa. "I had to break through three walls to reach you."

"It's a long story…" He sighed rubbing his neck once as his thoughts wandered back to what happened during the eclipse. "Let's just get out of here…"

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_A/N: A Sokkla oneshot. I've found this pairing an interesting one... and decided to write something about it. Tell me what you think, were they in character? Did I mess it up? Leave me a review if you can... _


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